Joan Chittister: Essential Writings is the latest publication in Orbis Books prestigious series enshrining the work of spiritual masters.

Benedictine sister Joan Chittister is one of the most popular and prophetic religious voices in the world. In her many books and countless speeches, she has addressed the burning issues of our time — justice, peace, the role of women, and the survival of the planet. She has explored the deepest questions of human existence, including love, suffering and death, the quest for happiness, and the meaning of life. She has probed the word of God, the message of the gospel, the call to contemplation, and the challenge of faithful living--all with her characteristic courage, honesty, and above all, passion.

This volume, more than any other, captures and distills Chittister's spirit and her message for women and men today--including reflections on her own journey, why she remains in the church, and what sustains her faith and hope.

"Sr. Joan Chittister, richly formed by tradition but refusing to stay mired in past centuries, carries the questions and seeks the insights that will shape the future. This collection provides an authoritative introduction to the breadth and depth of her considerable body of work." —Tom Roberts, Editor at large, National Catholic Reporter

EditorsMary Lou Kownacki is a Benedictine in Erie, Pennsylvania. Long-time friend and colleague of Sister Joan Chittister, she is the author of A Monk in the Inner City: The ABCs of a Spiritual Journey (Orbis 2008).

Mary Hembrow Snyder is a professor in the department of Religious Studies at Mercyhurst University in Erie, PA, where she also directs the Center for Mercy and Catholic Studies. She has edited Spiritual Questions for the Twenty-First Century: Essays in Honor of Joan D. Chittister (Orbis 2001).